Locking peg catch



Feb. 21, 1961 A. N. ALSOP LOCKING PEG CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1959 I ha en/01 141/250 Maw/71601 Feb. 21, 1961 A. N. ALSOP LOCKING PEG CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1, 1959 D H; FRED Maw/41:0

yffa hrg 2,972,488 Patented Feb. 21, 1961 LOCKING PEG CATCH Alfred Negus Alsop, Verdun, Quebec, Canada, assignor t) Lines Bros. (Canada) Limited, Montreal, Quebec,

anada Filed July '1, 1959, Ser. No. 824,391

Claims priority, application Canada Dec. 3, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 280-4737) This invention relates to carriages and particularly to baby carriages, childrens strollers and doll carriages and strollers.

Certain types of carriages have a handle which can be folded so as to reduce the size of the carriage and which can be set up and locked for propelling and guiding the carriage. Various structures have been proposed, but these are usually complicated or suffer some other disadvantage.

For example, in one construction the carriage body is attached to the chassis with large plated knobs or luggage clips. 'The formeri has to be tightened to attach the body and loosened to release the body. The latter has to be fastened separately to each side of the carriage. This is not only a two-handed operation, but its proper performance requires strength. As these carriages are generally used by ladies, there is always the possibility of the knobs-not being quite tight and consequently of the body becoming loose. The other type of fasteningthe luggage type clasp-is subject to wear and thus loses efiiciency with use.

The applicant has now developed a carriage construction which overcomes these difficulties and provides an ideal locking structure. This structure includes a front link and a rear link pivoted to each bed support stay of the carriage. The top of the front link is pivoted to the foot of the carriage handle. The top of the rear link, which is longer than the front link, is pivoted to the carriage handle at 'a point above its foot. A locking peg isprovided on the bed reinforcing strip.

In one preferred construction a locking peg-catch plate is connected to the front link and has a part that extends inwardly from the front link and includes a peg-catching recess adapted to engage the lockingpeg when the handle assembly is in setup position. A locking peg retaining plate is mounted on the bed support stay and includes a recess adapted to engage the locking peg so that when the handle is pushed upwardly and the locking peg catch plate bears on the locking peg, the locking peg in turn bears on the locking peg retaining plate, thus retaining the peg firmly against the upward leverage 'of the handle. The bed reinforcing strip which holds the locking peg bears against the bed cross-stays of the carriage. A locking ring is provided which is dropped over the assembled links and end of the carriage handle to hold those parts in locked position.

In a further preferred construction the locking peg catch plate connected to the front link includes an extension having an additional peg-catching recess so that the spaced recesses are adapted to engage the locking peg when the handle assembly is in two extreme positions. As before a lockingpeg retaining plate is mounted on the bed support stay and includes a recess adapted to engage the locking peg so that when the handle is pushed downwardly in one direction in the fully up position and in the other direction in the fully folded position the respective locking peg catch platerecess engages and bears on the locking peg, the locking peg in turn bears on the locking States PatentO "structed according to the invention.

30 showing one preferred form of the, locking feature."-

2 peg retaining plate, thus retaining the peg firmly in place. In an intermediate position of the handle both catch plate recesses are freedfrom contact with the peg and the carriage bed can be removed.

These new constructions are automatic in action to the extent that as mentioned above, when the levers are in the intermediate folded position, the catches are released and the bed can be lifted ofi. When in the assembled upright position with the first construction and/or fully folded position with the second construction the bed or seat is securely locked in place and impossible to remove without deliberately folding the lever. When in the up or down position, the lever (pusher) not only securely locks the bed of the carriage in position, but because of the spring steel brackets it does so under-tension. The new'catch is thus simpler and better. The new constructions are simple and thus enables extremely economical production.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 781,346, filed December 18, 1958, now forfeited.-

Detailed description invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a baby carriagefcon- Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side leventh Figure 3 is-a front'elevation ofthe locking assembly'off Figure 2. l Q

Figure 4 is a view in sideelevation of a baby carriage construction embodying a further preferred looking atra'ngement according to the invention. Figure 5 isan enlarged, fragmentary side elevation of the construction shown in Figure 4 illustrating the rlocking feature with the handle and associated linkagein fully 'up position locking the carriage bed in position.

Figure -6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 with'the handle and associated linkage shown in intermediate position with carriage bed free for removal.

Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 with the handle and associated linkage in fully down or folded condition locking the carriage bed' in position.

Figure 8 is 'a sectional view of Figure 5 along the line 8-8 to illustrate the construction 'more clearly. A

Figure 9 is a sectional view of Figure 5 along the line *99 to show the upper peg locking catch portion in engageinent with the locking'peg.

Figure 10 is a sectional view of Figure 7 along the line 10-10 to show the lever peg locking catch pornected to the chassis A through springs 15 are bed support stays S. For convenience the structure at the side of the carriage related to the bed support stay Swill be described, it beingunderstood that the other side of the carriage is constructed similarly.

Pivoted'to the bed supportstay S as at 19 is a'front link 21, pivoted to the bed support stay as at 2313 a rear link 25. The front link 21 is pivoted at its top end, as at 26, to the foot of one side 31 of a U-shaped handle R. vThe rear link 25 is also pivoted to the handle lever 31 as at 35 at a point spaced from'its foot.

The links 21 and 25 and the handle lever '31 are thus pivoted together in such a manner that they can bemoved into "the position shown in solid lines in which alock- 2,972,4ss 1 .T

i allow the links 21 and 25 and the handle to be moved forward to the position shown in dotted lines and further forward into a folded position. This feature is shown in US. Patent 2,607,605.

With particular reference to the construction shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the link 21 is provided with a locking peg catch plate 45 having a catch recess 45a. The catch plate 45 is connected to the link 21 at its top end by a bolt 46 and extends downwardly and inwardly from the link 21 to a foot portion which is pivoted to the bed support stay S by the same pivot which pivots the end of the link 21 to this stay, but the foot is located at the other side of the bed support stay from the link 21.

The bed support stay S is provided with a locking peg retaining plate 51 which is bolted to the bed support stay S as at 53. Projecting from the bed reinforcing strip 61 of the carriage is a locking peg 52.

When the links 21 and 25 are moved from the position shown in dotted lines to the locked position shown in solid lines, the looking peg catch plate 45 moves down into a position where its recess 45a engages the locking peg 52. The plate 45 projects inwardly so that a part of it falls inside the locking peg retaining plate 51. The plate 51 has an upper sloping part 51a which is adapted initially to catch the plate 45. The plate 51 is provided with a recess 51b in which the locking peg 52 engages when the assembly is pushed into downward locking position.

In the construction shown in Figures 4-10 the link 21 is provided with a locking peg catch plate 145 having spaced catch recesses 1450:, 145b. The catch plate 145 is connected to the link 21 at its top end as previously indicated by bolt 46 and extends downwardly and inwardly from the link 21 to a pivotal connection to the bed support stay S by the same pivot 23 which pivots the .end of the link 21 to this stay. The end portion of this plate 145 containing the catch recess 145b is located at the other side of the bed support stay S from the link i V 21, the body of the plate 145 being joggled inwardly, as shown in Figure 8, to provide the necessary clearance.

With this arrangement, to remove or install the body of the carriage on the running gear the links 21, 25 and the handle portion 31 are moved to the intermediate position, as shown in Figure 6, so that the catch plate 145 is clear of the peg 52.

When the links 21 and 25 are moved from the intermediate position shown in Figure 3 to the fully up locked position shown in Figure 5, the end of the locking plate 145 having the peg engaging recess 145a moves down into a position where its recess 145a engages the locking peg 52.

When the links 21, 25 are moved to the other extreme or fully folded position, as shown in Figure 7, the end of the catch plate 145 below the pivoted point 23 swings. up so that the substantially hook-shaped recess 145b engages the locking peg 52 so that it is again securely locked against displacement as-the carriage is handled in collapsed condition.

The numbers indicated in the drawing as 21, 25 and 45 and 145 being preferably made of spring steel means that when the lever handle R (pusher) is in the up" position, the body or seat is not only locked firmly and securely in position, but the pressure exerted is always under tension, thus preventing any looseness developing. The same applies when the handle R and associated linkage are in the fully down or collapsed position since the hood-shaped end of the plate 145 containing the recess 145b provides a somewhat camming action against the peg 52 urging it securely downwards into the recess 51b on the plate 51.

When used on a baby carriage the construction is equally suitable whether the body is of the non-adjustable crib type, or an assembly incorporating a seat with ad-' justa'ble foot rest and back rest.

The carriage is also provided with bed cross stays 60 and 64 which are pivoted to the bed reinforcing strips. Rubber supporting grommets 60a and 64a are provided on the bed cross stays to contact the bed reinforcing strip when it is in lower position.

The carriage is provided with the usual upholstery G.

This invention can be used with equal success on baby carriages, childrens strollers and doll carriages and strollers. It provides:

(1) A simple and most eflicient folder lever (the handle with locking ring support) (2) The simple mechanism provides an automatic locking device to firmly secure the body to the chassis on a baby carriage and/ or on a stroller, the seat to the chassis.

As will be appreciated by reference to the preceding description and accompanying drawings, in the fully up or erected position as is necessary to push the carriage the locking device is in operation retaining the body firmly onthe chassis. When it is desired to remove the body, the handle and associated linkage is moved to the intermediate position freeing the locking peg. If the carriage is to be moved or stored with the body in position the movement of the handle to the fully closed or down condition again firmly locks the body to the chassis.

(3) This automatic locking device, being centrally located, enables the body or seat to be not only removed, but replaced either way, thus making the body or seat reversible.

I claim:

1. A baby carriage comprising in combination, a re movable bed having a bed reinforcing strip, a chassis having a bed support stay, a front link and a longer back link pivoted to the bed support stay, a handle having'its foot pivoted to the top of the front link, an intermediate part of the handle being pivoted to the back link, the said bed reinforcing strip being provided with a locking peg, the said bed support stay carrying a locking peg retaining plate having a recess adapted to receive said locking peg, the front link carrying a locking peg catch plate having at least one recess adapted to engage the locking peg, whereby said handle and links may be moved from a locked and unfolded position with the top ends of said links adjacent one another retaining said bed reinforcing strip to said bed support stay with said peg engaged in said peg retaining plate recess and retained by said peg catch plate, to unlocked and folded positions wherein the said link ends are removed from one another and said peg catch plate is released from engagement with said peg.

2. A baby carriage comprising in combination, a removable bed having a bed support stay, a chassis having a bed support stay, respective front and rear links pivoted to the bed support stay at spaced apart points, the top of each front link being connected to a foot of a lever handle, the top of each rear link being connected to the lever handle at a point above the foot, said bed reinforcing strip having a locking peg projecting from it, a locking peg retaining plate mounted on the bed support stay and having a recess adapted to receive the locking peg, a locking peg catch plate connected to the front link and extending rearwardly therefrom, and having a recess adapted to engage the locking peg, whereby said handle and links may be moved from a locked position with the top ends of said links adjacent one another retaining said bed reinforcing strip to said bed support stay with said peg engaged in said peg retaining plate recess and retained by said peg catch plate, to unlocked and folded positions, wherein the said link ends are removed from one another and said peg catch plate is released from engagement with said peg.

3. A baby carriage construction comprising in combination, a chassis having a bed support stay, a removable bed having a bed reinforcing strip, a front link and a longer back link pivoted in spaced apart relationship to said bed support stay, a handle having its foot pivoted to the top of said front link, an intermediate part of said handle pivoted to the top of said back link, the bed reinforcing strip being provided with a locking peg, the bed support stay carrying a locking peg retaining plate having a recess adapted to receive the said locking peg, said link and handle being adapted to be moved from a first unfolded locked position in which the tops of the links are adjacent one another, to a second unlocked and partially folded condition in which the ends of the links are removed from one another, and to a third locked and fully folded condition in which the tops of the links are returned to adjacent one another, the said front link carrying a locking peg catch plate having a pair of spaced apart recesses, one of said recesses being adapted to engage the said locking peg when said linkage is in said first locking position and the other adapted to engage said locking peg when said linkage is moved to said third locking position.

4. A baby carriage comprising in combination, a removable bed having a bed reinforcing strip and a chassis having a bed support stay, respective front and rear links pivoted to the bed support stay at spaced apart points, the top of each front link being connected to the foot of a lever handle, the top of each rear link being connected to the lever handle at a point above the foot,

the said bed reinforcing strip having a locking peg projecting from it, a locking plate retaining plate mounted on the bed support stay and having a recess adapted to receive said locking peg, a locking peg catch plate connected to the said front link and extending rearwardly therefrom, said locking catch plate having spaced apart recesses adapted to alternately engage said locking peg, said links and handle being adapted to be moved between a first unfolded position in which the tops of said links are adjacent to one another, a second partially folded position in which the links are removed from one another, and a third fully folded position in which the tops of the links are returned to adjacent one another, said catch plate recesses being in sequence engaged with said locking peg in said first and third position and released from said engagement in said second position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,114 Hanson Jan. 17, 1893 2,607,605 Lines Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 178,718 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1935 

